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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944007">I'm gona be your rock</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poppins_you_flirt/pseuds/Poppins_you_flirt'>Poppins_you_flirt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Emmerdale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:03:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,637</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poppins_you_flirt/pseuds/Poppins_you_flirt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending to what happened the night after Vanessa told Charity she had bowel cancer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charity Dingle/Vanessa Woodfield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>74</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'm gona be your rock</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey guys, so I hated how Emmerdale ended last night and tonight's wasn't that much better but last night, I drafted a short alternate ending to how I'd of liked the evening to end after Vanessa came clean about her diagnosis. Let's hope there are happier times ahead.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">
      <b>I’m gona be your rock.</b>
    </span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Hearing movement downstairs, Vanessa looked over at the clock.</p><p>12:02am.</p><p>The noise hadn't woken her up. You have to actually be asleep to be woken up and with the amount of thoughts swimming around in the vets head right now, it had been near on impossible for her to settle all night.</p><p>Earlier that day, she'd finally confessed to Charity that she had bowel cancer. She'd been dreading telling her fiancè ever since she'd gotten her results back a couple of weeks ago. It wasn’t just because she'd been scared, as she'd told the taller blonde. No, she'd also been worried about how Charity would take the news. She didn't think she was strong enough herself to deal with anyone else's reaction to the news....especially her fiancè's.</p><p>Initially, Charity had been lost for words before eventually reassuring her. She'd told her they would fight it together and that she'd be there every step of the way, but soon after, the bar owner had all but run from the house saying she was needed at work earlier. So for the rest of the afternoon and night, Vanessa had seen to the kids before settling herself in front of the TV, staring at the screen rather than watching what was on. <br/><br/>She'd hoped that Charity would have perhaps sent a message at some point, asking how she was. The last time she checked her phone at quarter to eight, she'd resigned herself to the fact her fiancè wasn't going to contact her so decided on an early night. <br/><br/>For the last 4 hours, she'd laid in bed thinking about how much of a future she had. Would surgery work? Would she need chemo or radiotherapy? Would she have to wear a colostomy bag for the rest of her life? Then ofcourse there was the sinking feeling that no form of treatment would actually work and she wouldn’t see out the year. <br/><br/>She'd cried into her pillow, thinking of everything she'd miss out on. She wouldn't get to see her son grow up and get a job, a girlfriend, pass his driving test, drink his first beer... He was only 4. His life had barely even begun and here she was in fear of her own being over so prematurely. Her mind had then drifted back to Charity and everything she'd said they could do before she'd told her about the cancer. Buying their first home together, going on holidays, getting married and making memories together. The thought of not being able to do any of that hurt just as much as the pain in her stomach right now. <br/><br/>She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and decided to close her eyes and allow Charity to think she was asleep. It seemed clear from the lack of communication tonight that the taller woman didn't want to talk about it right now. Avoidance... It had always been one of Charity’s downfalls. Instead of dealing with a situation head on, she buried her head in the sand and hoped it would just go away.<br/><br/>As always, the bar owner peeked her head into each of the kids bedrooms before nipping into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Turning out the light in the bathroom she took a deep, steadying breath and opened her and Vanessa's bedroom door. The curtains were open which cast a slight glow from the street lights outside the window. Her eyes drifted straight over to the bed where she saw Vanessa laid on her side, facing the far wall. <br/><br/>Quietly closing the door, she then tip toed further into the room. She took off her shoes, followed by her pants, shirt and bra before picking up her nightie from the chair in the corner of the room, slipping it over her head and down her body. Folding back the duvet she got onto the mattress, laying herself on her side, facing the other woman. Her head was propped up in the palm of her hand as she stared at the back of the vets head. "Ness, are you awake?" She whispered.<br/><br/>It took a few moments of Vanessa pondering whether or not to reply but eventually she did. "Yea.."<br/><br/>Charity’s free hand moved under the duvet and slid around the smaller woman's waist. Shuffling herself along the mattress, she engulfed the vet into a strong embrace but was careful not to squeeze her lower half. "How are ya?"<br/><br/>Vanessa sniffed back. As soon as Charity had shuffled closer, fresh tears had begun to fall from her eyelids. "Not really sure how to answer that to be honest."<br/><br/>The taller woman's chin rested in the crook of Vanessa's neck. She pressed her lips softly into the skin, peppering the area with light kisses. After her break down at work earlier that evening, it had dawned on her that she should have probably taken the evening off work and gotten someone else to cover the shift. For everything she was feeling, it really didn't compare to what Vanessa must be going through right now. To just up and leave her after dropping a bombshell like that...<br/><br/>Truth was though...she herself had needed some time to process it on her own. The news had come out of nowhere but maybe if she hadn't been so wrapped up in her own issues over the last few weeks, she'd have seen the warning signs had all been there all along. <br/><br/>"How was your shift?"<br/><br/>Vanessa's voice startled the taller woman from her thoughts. "Same as always, babe. Nowt new to report." They fell into a silence for a few moments while Charity processed what she wanted to say to her fiancè. "Babe, I'm sorry I left you today. Truth is, I..." She trailed off, unsure of how much she should divulge. In the end, she opted for the truth. "...I needed some space. Selfish as it sounds, I needed time to process everything. I mean, I only just got you back and then you tell me this huge, life changing thing and I... my brain couldn't handle it."<br/><br/>Vanessa squeezed her eyes closed, trying to stop her tears from falling as she listened to Charity explain her actions this afternoon.<br/><br/>"The thing is babe, I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. You've...You've changed me, for the better I might add. I used to be a right heartless cow back in the day and yea, I know I sometimes come across as though I don't care but like I said yesterday, you mean the absolute world to me, babe. I can't imagine my life without you and then you tell me you've got cancer and.. and.. I can't begin to tell you how terrified that made me. In those few seconds, everything changed. <em>Both</em> of our lives changed." She stroked her nose back and forth over Vanessa's neck. "I kind of had a little break down at work" she admitted. "Went through to the back and cried my eyes out, didn't I?"<br/><br/>"Charity...it's Ok. It's OK to cry." She turned her head, finally meeting glistening green eyes. "You need to let your emotions out instead of bottling them up. I've had a couple of weeks to process this now. I've done my fair share of crying it out. You need to do the same."<br/><br/>"Yea I know, but I also know I need to step up and be the strong one now. You've always been the backbone in this relationship. The sensible one as you like to put it, you know?" She gave the vet a small smile. "You've been so good at it an'all...but now it's my turn and I promise you now Ness, I'm gona be here for you every step of the way. I'm gona be your rock and together we'll fight this thing and you know what? We're gona win. You're far too young and pretty to leave this world just yet, babe. I've got big plans for us an'all, all of which require you to be alive and kicking, alright?"<br/><br/>Vanessa smiled, tears still spilling from her eyes. "What kind of plans?"<br/><br/>"Well, first things first, were gona get you ringing that bell on the cancer ward. I know the next few months are gona be insanely rough, but that's the goal OK? Then after that, I reckon we deserve a proper big holiday. Maybe we can actually make it to Paris next time, yea?"<br/><br/>Vanessa laughed slightly. "I'd like that."<br/><br/>"So would I. Then I think when we come back, we should have the biggest chuffing wedding the village has ever seen. I'm talking massive, babe. We'll pull out all the stops and make it a day neither of us will ever forget."<br/><br/>"I thought you didn't want a big wedding?"<br/><br/>"Yea well, things change, don't they? We never know what's gona happen from one day to the next. I know I said I didn't need a big wedding and didn't need to show off but you know what, I want to show <em>you</em> off. I want to show everyone in this damn village exactly how you mean to me and then I'm gona embarrass the kids by snogging your face off in front of them all."<br/><br/>For the first time that night, Vanessa let out a genuine laugh. She looked lovingly back at her fiancè. "Thank you."<br/><br/>Charity smiled back at the smaller woman. "No, <em>thank you</em>, babe. Thank you for sticking with me even though we both know I'm hard work at times. I'm gona show you I'm worth it though. I'm gona look after you...for the rest of our <em>very long</em> lives, OK?" Vanessa nodded in return before Charity leant in and claimed her lips.<br/><br/>Xxxxxxxxxxxxx</p><p> </p>
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